


life is a show (let's put on a good one then)

by tfnchu



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Eventual Smut, King Byun Baekhyun, M/M, Prince Kim Seokjin | Jin, Queen Kim Taeyeon, Slow Burn, eventual graphic violence, the selection/black mirror au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-11-22 14:26:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11382063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfnchu/pseuds/tfnchu
Summary: Park Jimin enters himself into a talent show that will determine the future husband of the prince, Kim Seokjin.Based on the book 'The Selection' and season 1 episode 2 of 'Black Mirror'.





	1. Chapter 1

“Come on Jiminnie… this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Jimin tore his eyes away from the blindingly bright screen that was still playing The Selection advertisement and scoffed.

“Bambammie~” he began, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly, “you know I don’t want a life like that-”

“A life full of luxuries and opportunity? Hm? Everybody wants that! You’ll never have to work another day on the ellipticals, you can finally showcase your talent, and you have a chance at getting fucked by the hottest guy in the world!” Bambam studied him pointedly with wide eyes.

Jimin just laughed, “It’s not that; it’s just a lot of pressure-- to be honest I don’t think I’m fit to help rule.”

“Oh my god, not this again,” he shifted to completely face Jimin on the beaten couch, “Look at me. You are beautiful, compassionate, and strong. There’s no one else more worthy than you for this position, and the only thing holding you back is your stupid-ass self doubt.”

At times like this, Jimin was extremely grateful for his best friend. He frequently put himself down, but he didn’t realize it until BamBam began lecturing him.

“Thanks BamBam, I’d say the same for you but your only talent is doing that old 2000’s dab thing faster than the speed of light”

At this, he sprung off the couch and raced to the kitchen to avoid the fabled wrath of BamBam.

“You ass!” he screamed, following him.

“Yeah, I know I have a nice one!”

“I wanted to boost your confidence, just don’t start getting cocky on me like this!”

 

\---

 

Jimin sighed, staring at the forms on the screen in front of him like he was trying to burn a hole through it. He had been at the ellipticals for 3 hours now and had finally mustered up the courage to fill out The Selection applications.

_1\. Distinct talents:_

Okay, dancing was a given. He had discovered dancing during the time when his mom was making him try out every creative art, and thankfully he had instantly fallen in love with it.

At the time, he hadn’t understood what his mom was trying to do, but now he realizes she was attempting to get him a better life by making him useful. In the current world, people who’re talented in the arts are offered a chance at riches and fame every generation when the prince or princess turns 21. All people between 16 and 25 years old submit forms and the most promising are selected to compete for the royalty’s love, which is filmed and aired live to provide entertainment to the ordinary who work everyday to power the town by pedaling on ellipticals for 5-10 hours depending on the amount of merits you have. Working makes you merits that you can spend on holo-screen passes for shows and shit, but Jimin didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted to lead a normal life without fame or drama.

Unfortunately, BamBam and his mom apparently had different plans.

He finally decided on putting down drawing, speaking different languages, and singing. He filled in the other areas and clicked the send button, wanting this to be done with as soon as possible.

Besides, there was like a 0.0000001% chance he would be chosen.

 

\---

 

“Jiminnieeeee~ get some popcorn! This is the biggest night of my life!”

“You didn’t even enter though.”

“Yeah, but I’m living vicariously through you so deal with it.”

Jimin rolled his eyes at him from the kitchen, and brought the popcorn in.

The last program of the night’s credits were rolling, so he sat down next to BamBam and leaned on his shoulder, waiting anxiously for the announcement to begin.

“ _And now, for the segment we’ve all been looking forward to, the contestants of The Selection!_ ” the iconic host, Amber, declared.

“ _We’ve got the royal family here with us tonight for our future king’s first ever holo-screen appearance! They’re just behind this,_ ” Amber said, gesturing to a red velvet curtain beside her, “ _Count down with me! Three, two, one!_ ”

The curtain fell away, and there behold, Kim Seokjin with his family on the step behind him.

Jimin audibly gasped because, holy shit Seokjin was hotter on video than pictures would ever do him justice for. Bambam smirked at him, knowing what was running through his head from his reaction.

“ _Prince Seokjin, how are you on this fine night?_ ” Amber inquired, handing the microphone over to him.

“ _I’m doing great, and I’m half of that is because of the special announcement to come_ ” Seokjin added with a wink to the camera.

Okay, so he definitely had no problems with getting straight to the point. His posture was impeccable, his eyes unwavering, his shirt stretched over an extremely broad back-- shit, he had spaced out. Now, he was in the middle of describing his own talents.

“ _...my dad jokes are pretty genius, if I must say so myself. Oh, I can also sing a little bit, but I don’t practice a lot._ ”

Amber perked up noticeably at this, and asked, “ _Do you know if you could sing a little for us then? Just a little excerpt from a song?_ ”

“ _Oh, uh_ ” Seokjin was flustered, his hands fidgeting at his waist and his head tilting, “ _Sure, just give me a sec_ ”.

Amber nodded and practically the whole town sat in silence as the prince’s eyes drifted to the ceiling, and then back to the camera.

“ _Maybe I, I can never fly,_ ” he began and Jimin froze, his mouth gaping. The prince’s voice was like dark chocolate, or maybe butter. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, so he just lost himself in the prince’s voice.

“ _Maybe I, I can touch the sky, geuraedo son ppeotgo sipeo dallyeobogo sipeo jogeum deo..._ ” For the first time since the interview had started, Seokjin showed some shyness as he put dropped the microphone from his mouth, bowed his head and glanced from Amber to the camera and back.

“ _Wow…_ ” Amber trailed off for a second “ _... I think I speak for the whole kingdom when I say that was absolutely magnificent! However, we must move on to the candidates since we’re pressed for time. Maybe throughout the selection we could hear more of your talent!_ ”

There was a flash of black before the words ‘IT BEGINS’ were displayed menacingly on the screen.

Jimin put his arms around BamBam and clung onto him like a koala as the countdown began.

“Three”

“Two”

“One”

“ _The first candidate to be The Selected is…_ ”

A photo of the guy that was obviously from a performance of some sort appeared.

“ _Jeon Jungkook, age 18. A sports-junkie who also happens to have an artistic side. He enjoys football, sculpting, dancing, and singing._ ”

“Fuck.” Jimin whispered.

“I agree.” BamBam murmured back.

On the flip side, a guy with soft features and a cute expression was the next candidate.

“ _Kim Namjoon, age 23. Although he may seem cute, he is a ferocious underground rapper. He recently got widespread recognition for his mixtape ‘RM’._ ”

“Damn, I would’ve never guessed from that photo.” BamBam commented.

Jimin was about to respond, but the next photo to be shown dissipated all coherent thoughts from his head.

“ _Park Jimin, age 20. With an extreme passion for dancing, singing, and the arts in general, he never belonged working at the ellipticals all day._ ”

“O-oh-oh my- oH MY GOD JIMINNIE LOOK IT’S YOU ON THE SCREEN! IT’S ACTUALLY YOU!” BamBam screeched, holding Jimin tightly.

“I-I actually made it? Really?” Jimin was still deep in shock, his eyes trained on BamBam.

“Yeah! I knew you would!”

All the emotions were beginning to take over his common sense, so he just let it all go through tears, burying his face in BamBam’s comforting shoulder.

“I-I just, I-,” Jimin hiccuped incoherently into his lifelong friend’s shirt.

“Shhh, this is great Jiminnie, don’t try to talk, don’t even think right now, just be happy for yourself.”

However, BamBam didn’t take his own advice as light and dark thoughts flitted through his mind and his excited facade crumbled into a frown without Jimin noticing.

 

\---

 

Jimin took a deep breath, attempting to keep his face from crumpling.

Today was the day he would have to leave everything he’d even known behind, BamBam, his friends, his family, everything. Even if he wasn’t very close with some of them, he wished he had spent more time appreciating them while he had it. There was nothing he could do though.

Your loved ones weren’t allowed to see you face to face until you get eliminated or you become royalty-- something about making it easier for the candidates to leave. So, you recorded face-messages as a substitute.

“Mom, I know I never see you that much anymore, but I just wanted to say that I’m so thankful for all of your training even if I hated it. I love you.” Jimin said, stretching his mouth into a forced smile.

“JiHyun, my brother, the same goes for you about our relationship, so I hope to see you more after all of this!”

He went through all of his friends with the smile, until he got to BamBam.

“BamBam…,” Jimin choked up, tears finally falling freely, “I love you a lot. We’re always joking around, but you’ve always been here for me, making sure I didn’t fall too far into that hole of self-doubt. Thank you for everything. I hope to see you soon!”

Immediately after he finished, he practically flew into the limo out of embarrassment; he was always bad at controlling his emotions. The ride went quickly with thoughts of the upcoming events swirling around his head, and for once, the barren, grotesque landscape that surrounded the town didn’t bother him.


	2. Chapter 2

Jimin arrived at the castle a little before evening.

It was just as grand and intimidating as he imagined, yet all he could feel was numbness. His life had suddenly took a sharp turn for the better, which he thought he would never experience or even dream of, and he didn’t know whether to feel elated, scared, anxious, or nervous. However, this confusion in his brain did not extend to his motor functions, and he was able to get out of the limo without embarrassing himself a second time. 

A huge gate- probably 3 times as tall as him - loomed in front of the castle with a guard to it’s left. The embroidery glistened orange in the rays of the setting sun, as if the gate was trying to seem more inviting despite the dark aura surrounding it. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the guard with as much confidence as he could muster.

“Name?” The guard asked in a gruff voice through her helmet.

“Park Jimin,” he said, his voice wavering slightly.

“Okay, your finger please?”

Jimin reached out his arm and stuck out his pointer finger onto the silver circle on her palm. There was a faint buzz, and the outer bevel flashed green, signifying Jimin was who he claimed he was.

“Proceed through the gates and a servant will be waiting for you. Good luck.” Her surprising show of compassion and the outline of a smile through her visor sparked a flame of hope inside of him.

“Thank you,” he said, trying to convey his grateful emotions through the two words.

She nodded her head in acceptance, and Jimin walked through the now open gates. 

\---

Jimin had always prided himself on his ability to make friends, so he knew how to hold himself and what to say to seem nice, intimidating, or shy. For this occasion, he decided to go for confident, but not enough to come off as arrogant, so as he entered the giant front doors he straightened his back and forced his chin to stay up along with his eyes pointing straight forward.

“Mr. Park?” A nasal voice asked through a small speaker embedded in the wall to the left of the doors.

“Yes?”

“Okay, just verification. You may enter. When you do so, the Gathering Room should be right in front of you. Walk in and your styling will begin.” 

The speaker shut off as the last words were spoken and the doors creaked open.

Jimin closed his eyes forcefully and thought of all of the possibilities for him here. Once he opened them, his brain was clear and he walked through to the Gathering Room.

\---

“Ah, Mr. Park. Please come with us.” A disembodied voice stated in a heavy accent.

The Gathering Room was filled to capacity with women in outrageous makeup who were probably the stylists, more professional looking photographers, and more equipment than was probably needed. Everyone seemed to be in a loop of running to their destinations frantically, doing what was needed, and repeating, except the men seated at vanities around the room. Jimin didn’t get a good look at any of them before he was swept away, but he could tell from their shapes that they were insanely handsome like the ones he had caught on the holo screen before he was called.

He was sat down at a vanity next to a young, athletic-looking man who he guessed was Jeon Jungkook.

“Stay here and don’t you dare move your head,” a woman said before she ran away.

Jimin briefly considered following the instructions, but he decided against it due to his curiosity.

“Hi,” he said making his voice light and friendly, while simultaneously turning to Jungkook, “You’re Jeon Jungkook, right?”

He hesitated for a second and then faced Jimin.

“Uh, yeah. And you’re Jimin?” His voice was shaky and he almost seemed out of breath. The poor kid wouldn’t last a day here.

“Yup! I love to dance, too.”

“Oh haha, you got that from the broadcast… it’s weird everyone knowing your passions and stuff.” He reached up to scratch his neck awkwardly, showing his bulging biceps beneath his plain black shirt. Personality and appearance can sometimes reflect the opposites of each other, Jimin reminded himself.

“Really? All of my friends knew I liked the arts back in my town.”

“Oh, um, I kinda kept it secret. People would’ve teased the hell out of me if they’d known I liked gay shit like singing-- not that I think that, they would’ve!” He added hurriedly. Jimin couldn’t hold back a tiny giggle at this.

“Sorry to break it to you, but we are gay.” Jungkook smiled at this as well. He thought he looked a lot like a cute bunny when he did that, so he made it his goal to get him to do it as much as possible.

“I kept that a secret, too. My town was weirdly homophobic even though our own fucking prince is homosexual.”

“I guess some people will just always be close-minded,” Jimin said, smiling sadly.

“I guess,” he paused for a second as if considering if his thoughts were worth sharing, “Uh, actually that’s one of the things I’d like to do if I get picked.”

“Hm?” Jimin raised his eyebrows.

“I’d like to totally eliminate homophobia, sexism, and don’t tell anyone else… fat shaming.”

He let out a gasp at this and his eyes widened in shock. Being fat meant that you didn’t do your work at the ellipticals to power the town; therefore making you lazy and selfish. There were even holo-shows where overweight people were humiliated as punishment for putting your own pleasure over the wellbeing of others.

Before Jimin could retort, though, the stylist came back and wasted no time ordering him to close his eyes so they could begin to work on his face.

\---

While they worked on him, thoughts of what was to come and Jungkook’s motives swirled around in his head. Although it stressed him out more than he was before, it did make the time pass quickly, and soon it was time for Jimin to open his eyes. 

The Park Jimin who stared back at him in the milky reflection of the mirror was a whole different person. His eyes looked permanently lidded in a sultry look, accentuated by piercing smoky eyeshadow. His cheekbones seemed as if they could cut like a knife and his hair-- oh my god how had he not noticed. His hair was now a blue-gray that curved over the right side of his forehead.

“I-I… thank you so much,” he said in awe.

“It’s our job. Now please take these clothes and change in that room,” she said pointing to a door to his right and handing him the suit, “for the photoshoot.”

Jimin obeyed and got changed. Even with no mirror, he could tell the suit was more expensive than his whole existence. It was fitted to him perfectly, creating curves in areas that needed it and slimness in others.

He walked out of the room, slightly self-conscious, and was quickly directed towards a luxurious couch in front of a blue holo-screen.

“This is a simple photoshoot. Please sit up straight and remain expressionless,” a photographer with a long mustache ordered.

Jimin was sure the whole kingdom would be seeing these pictures; therefore he had to stand out in one way or another. Nothing too noticeable, though.

He ended up curving his lips into a slight  [ smirk ](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/40400000/Jimin-BST-Era-bts-40465486-322-500.jpg) , defying commands for the second time that day. Hopefully this would catch the public's attention and differentiate himself from the competition without seeming too extra or cocky.

“Good job. You may head to dinner now,” he said waving a maid over.

“Julia at your service, Mr. Park,” she said with a slight bow and, not waiting for an answer, headed to the door. 

He hurried to catch up and stepped out into the spacious hallway. 

“Nice to meet you, Julia.” He stated, trying to strike up a conversation.

“The same for you. Me and my crew will be taking care of you during your stay here, so if you have any questions or concerns, we’re happy to help.”

She didn’t seem happy at all, but Jimin guessed she had a lot on her hands.

They walked in silence through many halls that were all illuminated by impressive chandeliers. Every time they passed one, he felt obligated to look up and admire their beauty; he had never seen anything as grand ever in his life, and they were just casually placed in every hallway!

After many chandeliers and many corridors, they reached the dining hall. 

Jimin’s mouth fell into a perfect O shape as he took in the ginormous space that was where he would eat everyday until he was eliminated.

The marble table that filled the room was practically glistening from the abundance of natural light shining through the long windows taking up most of the walls. At the front end of the table was an extension that expanded horizontally compared to the rest, and was lined with 3 huge thrones, presumably for the royal family.

He chose to be brave, and took a seat next to a tall, masculine man.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence that seemed to cover the whole room in a stillness, but it shattered once the man turned to Jimin with a bright, dimpled smile.

“Hi! My name is Namjoon, and I think you’re name is Jimin, right?”

Holy shit his voice was deep; it totally contrasted his kind aura and gave an insight into how he could be such a hardcore rapper.

“Yup! Nice to meet you,” Jimin responded with an accompanying dip of his head.

“To you too...I’m so excited to try the food here oh my god I heard it’s to die for.”

“Oh wow I totally forgot we were gonna be eating here, I was so focused on everything else”

Namjoon paused and then laughed in a short, clipped way that was extremely endearing.

“I would have too, if I wasn’t as obsessed with cuisine as I am,”

Suddenly, a wave of people walked through the wide entrance to the dining room, including Jungkook. Sensing it would be good to have friends here even if he didn’t stay for long, Jimin waved Jungkook over and introduced him to Namjoon as the rest of the seats filled up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone im sorry again that this is so late! read the last notes for more detail, but i hope you all like this new chapter!
> 
> don't expect another update regularly, however i will try and write more because im starting to like it a lot :)

**Author's Note:**

> for some reason this came to me in the shower after watching a few episodes of black mirror (which is an amazing show btw!!!), so i hope you guys like it :) feel free to leave suggestions and stuff down in the comments
> 
> EDIT: hi everyone im sososososososo sorry if any of you guys actually liked this and were waiting for another chapter, it's just writing isn't really my first priority and school has been horrible so far :(( my breaks are coming up though, so i'll try and write more soon! i do have a second chapter almost finished which i'll try and post asap (maybe today idk).


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